1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope device that is used medically and industrially and the like, and, in particular, to an endoscope device that is provided with light for irradiating onto a test subject.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, endoscope devices are widely used for observing interiors of living bodies and interiors of machinery and the like. In these endoscope devices illumination based on white light is typically used.
However, in recent years, as is described in Japanese Patent No. 3194660 and the like mentioned below, technology has been developed in which laser light of a specific wavelength is irradiated onto a subject of an endoscopic examination, and, using this laser light as excitation light, fluorescence emitted by the endoscopic examination subject is observed. Alternatively, a fluorescent substance is coated in advance onto an endoscopic examination subject and the fluorescent light emitted from the fluorescent substance when, in the same way, the light of the specific wavelength is irradiated thereon is observed. Moreover, in the endoscope device described in Japanese Patent No. 3194660, a diffusion optical component such as a diffusion lens is attached to the outgoing end of the laser light on the distal end side of the insertion portion, so that the laser light of the specific wavelength is diffused and then irradiated onto the endoscopic examination subject.
When an endoscopic observation that uses this technology is performed in parallel with a normal endoscopic observation, a light source that emits white light and a laser light source that emits light of a specific wavelength are provided in advance, and the observation light is switched by appropriately selecting one of these light sources.